The man who created one of Southern Colorado’s most beloved and quirky attractions has died, according to a social media post.
James “Jim” Roland Bishop began building his monumental stone castle high atop a hillside in the forest of the Wet Mountains in 1969 on land in rural Custer County that he purchased 10 years earlier, as a teenager.
An ironworker by trade, the Pueblo resident labored on weekends, mostly single-handedly on what was intended to be a small cottage. More than five decades later it stands about 165 feet tall, boasts stained glass windows and is topped by a metal dragon that can breathe smoke from a woodstove inside.
“Without cranes, without money, without a rich daddy. By hand. High school dropout. I work for a living. I paid as I went. No bankers, no loans, no blueprints, no inspections. A place of freedom. A fight for freedom,” Bishop said in a NPR interview in 1994.
As what is now known as Bishop Castle grew in size, it also grew in popularity, attracting tourists from around the world. They’d climb the castle’s uneven stairs into dark turrets to reach the upper floors. Some would brave the open ironwork walkways to get a view from the top of the edifice. It has been described as “authentically dangerous,” by more than one visitor.
Bishop could often be found moving stones, digging a moat or building the castle wall. He’d sometimes also share his nonmainstream political views with visitors.
If he wasn’t on site, there were handmade signs surrounding the short trail to get to the castle that made his beliefs clear. He could be off-putting at times, loud and confrontational, but his vision for his fairy tale castle soared high. Creeks, fountains, wrought iron gates, and even a scenic elevator powered by gravity, were part of Bishop's dream for his lifelong project.
“The weight of the people would turn automotive alternators, charging batteries – a tourist electric system,” he said during the NPR interview.
There are no entry fees. A sign asks for donations to be placed in a box. Another warns people that they were there at their own risk.
Although the castle remains unoccupied, it sometimes serves as a wedding venue and the family built a small gift shop on the property. Over the years, Bishop and his castle gained even more fame through national media coverage, documentaries and social media.
Controversies and challenges beset Bishop and his family though.
An associate attempted to take ownership of the property, and Bishop had zoning disputes with Custer County, among other issues.
In April 2015, he was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Several years later he was also diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. A fire in 2018 destroyed the gift shop, which has since been rebuilt.
Bishop kept working on his masterpiece for as long as he could. It’s a testament to his determination, strength and vision. In his last interview with CPR, he said it was his gift to the world.
“Them walls,” he said. “Them buttresses, arches, towers, if there wasn't somebody to climb on them, be inspired by them, get married up there and use them and have fun screaming and hollering and climbing, there’d be no point in doing it.”
His family announced his death early on the morning of Nov. 21, 2024. Bishop was 80 years old. Services will be set at a later date.
Meantime the tributes and testimonials to him are rolling in on social media from around the state and around the globe.
Arlo Pérez Esquivel contributed to this story
To read more stories from Colorado Public Radio, visit www.cpr.org.
